Method of and apparatus for labeling



Dec. 26, 1939. s, w VON HQFE 2,184,824

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS 'FoR LABELING Filed Dec. 28, 1938 I f 4-1 A v INVENTOR GEORGE IV. vo/v HOPE ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 26, 1939 v 2,184,824

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR LABELING George W. von Hole, Bound Brook, N. 1., assignor I to New Jersey Machine Corporation, Hoboken, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 28, 1938, Serial No. 248,048

11 Claims. (Cl. 216-51) This inventionrelates to the art of applying The illustrated apparatus comprises a bell ID or labels and more particularly to Cellophane labels, the like, which is carried by a tubular stem ll decalcomanias, ceramic decalcomanias and the preferably so as to be readily detachable there- [like, and has for its object to provide a novel from at will; for instance, as shown, the tubular and simple method whereby said labels, decalstem H may have its lower end in screwthreaded 6 comanias, etc., may be efliciently applied to the connection with an upright sleeve l2 formed as articles for which they are designed. an integral part of the bell It]. At its'lower end The invention contemplates further the prosurface, the latter is ,preferably provided with vision of a novel and simple apparatus whereby a rubber or other suitable gasket l3 secured in 0 the novel method may be efficiently carried out. place in any convenient way for the purpose to Other more specific objects will appear from be set forth more fully hereinafter. At its upper the description hereinafter and the features of end, the tubular stem ll carries a cap or headnovelty will be pointed out in the claims. l4 preferably in screwthreaded connection with In the v accompanying drawing, which illussaid stem l I so as to be readily detachable theretrates the invention without defining its limits,' from to permit access to the interior of the stem 15 Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional View of the II when and if desired. The stem II with the novel apparatus; Fig. 2 is a similar view with the bell Ill is arranged in any conventional manner parts in a difierent position; Figs. 3 and 4 are -for vertical reciprocation as by being slidably exaggerated sectional views on a greatly enlarged mounted in a stationary guide .or bearing 15 and scale illustrating different stages in the appli is vertically operated inproper operative timingv cation of the labels, and Fig. 5 is a perspective by any convenient mechanism; the latter is exview of an article with a label applied thereto. emplified by a rocking lever 16 having its prefer- It is to be understood that the term label ably rounded end i'l located in a slot l8 formed as used herein is intended to included Celloin the cap or head it as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

phane labels, decalcomanias,' ceramic decal- A pressure head i9 is located within the bell 25 comanias, etc., in addition to those elements coml0 and on its lower face is preferably provided monly referred to as labels or which may reasonwith a resilient or otherwise yielding pressure ably be so designated. pad 20 secured in place in any convenient man- In carrying out the-novel method, a label a. is ner. The pressure head [9 is carried by a brought into initial adhesive connection with an plunger 2| and preferably is detachably con- 30 article b in any convenient manner and in prenected therewith as by being threaded thereon, determined position thereon; this initial adsaid plunger 2| being mounted in the stem ll hesive connection may be effected by means of for slidable movement relatively thereto in operadhesive applied as a coating or otherwise either ative synchronism with the associated elements to the rear surface of said label a or to that part of the apparatus. Any convenient mechanism 35 of the surface of the article b to which the label may be provided'for operating the plunger 2|,

:1 is to be applied. K said mechanism being exemplified by a rocking In any case, subsequent to the initial connecleve 2 p je t through an p 3 in tion of the label a with the article b, pressure is the stem II and having its rounded end 24 40' exerted on a restricted surface portion of the located in a slot 25 formed at th pp n 0f 40 initially applied label a to maintain theilatter said plun r 2| as il ust a d in F ssl-and. 2. against shifting out of position on the article b. The apparatus under discussion-further in- The application of the aforesaid pressure on the eludes means for maintaining the initially aplabel a is effected in an enclosure or chamber plied labels a against shifting out of position on which is substantially air-tight in which a the articles I). In the illustrated example, the vacuum 15 subsequently developed or the air aforesaid maintaining means'comprises an auxilpressure is reduced below normal atmospheric iary plunger 26 arranged to exert pressure on a pressure, after which pressure is applied to the restricted surface portion of the initially applied remaining surface portions in said vacuum or label a to maintain the latter against shifting 1) in the presence'of air pressure less than atmoson the article b. The auxiliary plunger 26 is 59 phen'c pressure to complete the adhesive conneccarried by the plunger .2! and is slidably mounttion of the label a with the article b. ed in an axial bore 21 thereof and in an open- The novel method may be carried out in any ing in the pressure head l9 and projects beyond suitable manner as, for instance, by means of the the pressure pad 20 through an aperture therein. apparatus shown fragmentarily in Figs. 1 and 2. The auxiliary plunger 26 further extends lengthwise of a chamber 28 formed interiorly of said plunger 2| and is controlled by a spring 29 in the chamber 28; the spring 29 bears with its one end against the inner end of the chamber 28 and has its other end in engagement with an annular flange 30 on the auxiliary plunger 26. In addition to'providing an abutment for one end of the spring "29, the annular fiange 39 in cooperation with the pressure head l9 serves as astop for arresting the outward movement of said auxiliary plunger 26 by the action of said spring 29 which yieldingly maintains said auxiliary plunger 25 in its normal extended position 15 on the plunger 2| and returns it thereto. As

shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the bell I0 is provided with a nipple 3| for the accommodation of a flexible tube 32 or the like, which serves to connect the interior of said bell ID with a suitable pump or the like, whereby the air pressure in the bell I0 is reduced below atmospheric or a vacuum is produced therein.

The adhesive whereby the labels a are adhesively connected with the articles b may be applied to the surface of the article on which said labels a are to be located, or said adhesive may be applied as a coating to the backs or rear surfaces of the labels a. For purposes of description and for no other reason it will be assumed that the labels a are provided on the backs or real surfaces with a coating 0 of suitable adhesive as shown in exaggerated form in Fig. 3. While this coating 0 of adhesive is in a tacky condition or after it has been moistened to bring said coating c to such condition, the label a is brought into initial adhesive connection with the article b in any convenient manner and in predetermined position thereon.

In such initial application, air pockets d are very likely to develop beneath the label a so that portions of the latter are not in surface connection with the article b but are spaced therefrom as illustrated in a greatly exaggerated manner in Fig. 3. During the aforesaid initial application of the label a to the article b the latter may be carried by a suitable support 33 which sub-- sequent to said initial application may be operated in any conventional manner to shift the article b with the initially attached label a thereon into operative relation to the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

' By appropriate operation of the lever I6, the stem II is moved downwardly to correspondingly move the bell l0 until the gasket l3 thereof engages the surface of the article b and by engagementtherewith under pressure -establishes an air-tight union with said article b; at this stage the initially applied label a is covered by the bell Hi, the interior of which constitutes an enclosure or chamber which is substantially airtight in which said initially applied label a is located. In proper timing the lever 22 is actuated to shift the plunger 2| downwardly in the stem II to thereby bring the auxiliary plunger 26 into contact with the initially applied label a; as the movement of the plunger 2| continues, the

auxiliary. plunger 26 will move into the same against the tension of the spring 29 and thereby will exert pressure on a restricted surface pox tion of the initially applied label a to maintain the latter against shifting out of position on the article I). It will be understood, if desired, that the timing may be such that the plunger 2| is first operated to cause the auxiliary plunger 26 to develop its maintaining pressure on the initially applied label a, and that the bell I0 is subsequently moved into engagement with the article b, without effecting the operative results ultimately obtained by the apparatus.

In predetermined timing with the other steps of the label applying operation, suction is in any case developed within the bell Ill through the tube 32 and nipple 3| to reduce the air pressure interiorly of said bell |0 below atmospheric pres-.

sure and preferably to develop a vacuum therein. This removes the air in the air bubbles d from beneath the initially applied label a and accordingly causes the portions of the latter contiguous thereto to shift into surface engagement with the article 17. By a continued operation of the lever 22, the plunger 2| is moved further down in the stem II and the pressure pad 20 of the pressure head I9 is thereby caused to exert a pressure upon the remaining surface portions of the label a to thereby complete the adhesive connection of said label a with the article b.

As the pressure of the auxiliary plunger 26 in the final label applying steps and the pressure of the pressure pad 20 are effective on the label a in the presence of air pressure less than atmospheric pressure, and preferably in a vacuum within the bell I0, the label a is firmly and adhesively fixed in place in the article b inv a smooth and uniform manner. When the operation of adhesively applying the label a to the article I) has been completed, air is admitted to the interior of the bell l0 through the tube 32 and nipple 3| to restore the air pressure therein to normal and to break the vacuum previously existing therein, after which the bell l0 and associated parts are raised to permit the removal of the article b with the fully applied label a thereon, after which the aforesaid operations may be repeated to apply a successive label a to a successive article b.

In many instances, the surface of the article b to which the label a is applied is uneven as exemplified in an exaggerated manner by the depression or dent e in Fig. 3. In such case, because of the fact that the final steps in the application of the label a to the. article b are performed underreduced air pressure or in a vacuthe pressure thereof will force the label a into such depression or dent e into adhesive connec-- tion with the surface thereof; the same is true with respect to any other inequalities in the surface .of the article b. In consequence of this, all parts of the label 1 throughout its entire area are firmly and adhesively connected with the article b and no parts of said label a remain disconnected from the surface thereof when the label applying operations are completed; this result is furthermore assured by the fact that the yielding pressure pad accommodates itself to the surface contour of the article b and because of the absence of air resistance beneath the label a easily forces all parts of the latter into uniform and uninterrupted adhesive connection with all parts of the surface of said article b.

This is of particular importance in connection with labels a of Cellophane, deealcomanias, ceramic decalcomanias and the like, and enables such labels, etc., to be readily and smoothly ap- -plied in an eflicient manner to the'articles for novel apparatus requires no particularly skilled supervision in its operation. v

with the novel method and apparatus, labels made of various materials, and particularly labels which because of the inherent characteristics of the materials of which they are made, are difflcult to apply properly, may be adhesively at taohed to articles of glass, ceramic-ware and other 2. The method of applying labels to articles which consists in pressing labels into adhesive connection with the articles in a vacuum.

3. The method of applying labels to articles which consists in bringing the labels into initial adhesive connection with the articles. and subsequently developing pressure on said labels in a vacuum to complete the adhesive application -thereof to said articles.

4. The method ofapplying labels to articles which consists in bringing the labels into initial adhesive connection with the articles, maintaining said initially applied labels against shifting out of position on said articles, and developing pressure on said maintained labels in a vacuum to complete the'adhesive application thereof to said articles. 4

5. The method of applying labels to articles which consists in bringing the labels into initial adhesive connection with the articles, exerting pressure on restricted suriace'portions oi the initially applied labels to maintain the latter against shifting out of. position on said articles,and applying pressure to the remaining surface portions of said labels in a vacuum to complete the adhesive application thereof to said articles.

6. In a labeling apparatus, means for providing a confined air pressure less than atmospheric pressure, and means for adhesively apply n attaching labels to articles in said confined air pressure less than atmospheric pressure.

"1. In a labeling apparatus, means for ing a confined vacuum, and means for adhesively applying attaching labels to articles in said vacuum. Y

8. Ina labeling apparatus, means for supporting an article in label receiving position, means co-operating with said article to provide an airtight chamber means for developing a vacuum in said-chamber, andmeans operatively efiective in'said chamber for exerting pressure on a label in said vacuum to adhesively attach said label to said article.

9. In a labeling apparatus, means for supporting an article and a label initially applied thereto, means co-operating with said article to enclose-said'initially applied label in an air -tight chamber, means for developing avacuum in said chamber, and means: for maintaining said initiallyapplied label against shifting out of position on saidarticle and for exerting pressure on said label in said vacuum to complete the application of said label to said article.

10. In a labeling apparatus, means for supporting an article with a label in initial adhesive connection therewith, aibell, means for shifting said bell into contact with said article to provide an air-tight chamber enclosing said label therein, means for developing a vacuum in said chamber, a main plunger movable within said bell, an auxiliary spring controlled plunger carried by said main plunger and operatively eflective in said chamber for exerting pressure on a restricted surface portion of said labeitomaintain the lat'-. ter against shifting out of position on said article,

a pressure head within said chamber carried by said main plunger, a resilient pressure pad mountled on said pressure head, and means for operating said main plunger to shift said pressure pad in said chamber into engagement with the remaining surface portions, of said label under pressure to complete the application of said label to said article in said vacuum.- r

11. In a labeling apparatus, means for providing an air-tight chamber, means for developing a vacuum in said chamber, means for supporting an artielein label receiving position in the presence of said vacuum, and means operatively eflective in said chamber for exertingpressure on a label in said vacuum to adhesively attachsaidlabeltosaidarticle,

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